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Sunday, July 3, 2011

How To Paint Particleboard / Laminate Furniture

Remember these sturdy Broyhill bookcases I got on Craigslist for our schoolroom? Well, they were hiding a little secret....
While the front and the drawers were made out of real wood, the sides, shelves and backs were made out of what I like to call the fake stuff. Yup, there was particleboard all over the place!
After seeing this inspiring image....

I decided that painting those babies white and putting them on either side of the window was just the thing to do. But what about the fake stuff? I knew from the start that the paint job needed to be indestructible. It needed to withstand three boys and the constant friction of books and other school items for the next 15 years. ha! Yeah, I did NOT want chipping paint and since we were dealing with particleboard (laminated wood?) I decided to do a little research. I combined the advice of different painting experts just to be on the safe side (I was scared remember :-) I bought what I needed and took the plunge.

Here they are after eight months of daily use, nary a scratch to be seen....

I was so impressed that I recently painted our dining room table using the same process even though it is made out of solid wood. I did not even sand it beforehand!

Before

After

Here is the scoop on how I did it:

First I cleaned the bookcases thoroughly with a damp cloth. I then applied two coats of this primer...

This oil based primer is key! It allows you to prime without sanding or 'roughing up' the particleboard beforehand. The odor is strong so I only use it out in the garage with the door fully opened. I would not use it indoors, especially if you have little ones running around. To apply the two coats of primer I used a small foam roller similar to this one..

This primer dries quickly, in about 2 hours, but I waited 12 hours between coats as a precaution. After all the priming was done I applied one coat of Olympic's Zero-voc, white, latex paint in semigloss. It can be found at Lowes.

After the paint was fully cured I applied two coats of Varathane Floor Finish, waiting about 12 hours between coats. It was boiling hot and bone dry here in Texas when I worked on this project, so it took only three days for the paint to cure. If you try this project in a cool or humid climate you might want to wait a bit longer for the paint to dry.

I used the brand Varathane recommended by the talented Holly from

Life in the Fun Lane . It has not yellowed the white paint yet and it is so easy to apply! I now coat all my painted pieces with it.

So with just a little elbow grease the bookcases, fake stuff and all, went from this..

to this...

and best of all they have withstood the test of time amazingly well!
I am more than happy to answer any questions in the comments section below so ask away. If you want to see more of my makeovers go here or here or even here :) Happy painting everyone!

Jedbel - Just stopping by to thank you for choosing to follow my blog. I appreciate your support and I hope that you will find a lot to like over there. I promise personalized attention whenever you care to visit and comment. Thanks again and have a wonderful holiday!

Great job on the cabinets! Funny story, I bought those very cabinets brand new from a furniture store back in the early 90's! Salesman assured me they were real wood! Boy was I pissed when I got them and most of it was saw dust furniture! Of course because they were special order I couldn't return them without a substantial loss! I used them for years, even took them to Germany with me, later they were painted black and finally I sold them! Those babies should serve you well for years to come!tot

Thanks for sharing this tutorial. I've already painted a few furniture pieces but I didn't use the floor finish so now I've added this on my list to pick up a can next time I'm at the hardware store. I was just gifted some bookshelves and have already started priming them. I hope they come out as nice as yours. :) Oh, btw, dining room looks amazing!

I'm slightly embarrassed that this is my 3rd comment in a half an hour...Anyways, I'm going to paint my table and I've been wondering how to do it! Thanks for this great tutorial! How have you found the finish to last on the table? Do you recoat the Varathane every so often? (And now I'm hopping up to be your newest follower!:))

Hi Belky I need help!I need to repaint my dining room set, but I don't know if I should just prime with that spray or if I have to sand them. The table has 2 coats of paint and a sealer-Painter's helper. I don't like the painter's helper. It doesn't look as good as that varathane you used.

Thanks for the helpful post. I was going to paint a china hutch I just bought but found out it was part particle board. This information helps a lot. However, I was going to paint it deep red. Besides the paint color is there anything you would change? Should I not use a white primer but a grey colored? Thanks!

I dont know if I found you to late lol.Im going to be painting a small sewing room.I ripped up the rug my husband layed 14 years ago,Im embarrassed to say ha.Underneath was a sweet surprise of particle board.So in searching online I found you and many others I opted for you.Now it is wintertime here.I guess I could open the little window in here for ventilation right?Id like to paint it something like white.I love those adorable white floors.But like I said this is a little room,I thought I would get a round through rug and put it in the center.I have no children to run around in here,my girls are grown and gone.So any advice from you I would soooo appreciate,lol.Im new to all of this my husband died 10 years ago so I have to save money and do what I can do.~~Becky

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I have spent all morning looking at your blog, projects, and all the great things you have done and posted....I have used the same brand of primer with the blue accents on the can...not oil based. It is WONDERFUL as well. Thank you for your creativeness!!

I am ready to try painting my bathroom cabinets! I have never used the floor finish, so does it matter if you use latex or oil paint first? Also, how did you "frame" the mirrors? That is my real problem!

Thank you for sharing this...I have a table to paint just like yours and I did buy the stain block stuff (not zinsser but another brand cos we don't seem to get that here but I'm assured it's the same stuff) but I haven't had the courage to use it yet LOL! How lame am I? I just have a bedroom to paint then I am definitely going to get that darned table done!

I've just finished the primer stage on a cheap Walmart cabinet, it has been drying overnight but if I scratch lightly @ it with my nail it comes off easily...did I do something wrong or should I just push through with the other steps to make it permanent?

My fiancee and I just took on the task of redoing some wood furniture for our baby. After two days of sanding a dresser I'm dreading having to do it again with the changing table! I can't wait to try this!

I am so glad I found this post!! I have some ikea dressers that we painted, badly. I have one left that needs to be painted and I am going to try to paint it using your tips. Thanks you again!! All your furniture looks great.

Wow! I really want to do this with our kitchen table. Can you do it with black, too, or is there something special about the white? (Sorry if this is a really dumb question...I've never painted anything.)

I just rented a great little home on the water in florida..it was a foreclosure. So the owners are still in the process of improvements....im looking for some ideas for painting plane cream wood kitchen cabinets..the appliances are almond. The paint in the living area is a neutral tan. Looking to do something creative...stenciling...decals etc...there is no hardware on them..thanks

We have the same kind of wood for our kitchen cabinets (i know stinky) right now we cannot afford to replace them. I am scared to death to paint them becasue if it looks bad I am kinda stuck until we can get new ones.

My question is, Is there enough of a gloss on them for the kitchen to be easily wiped off?

I was just about to toss out a dresser that was composed much like your bookcases. Now I am going to try this. (If it fails, I am only out the cost of the materials and the time I spend, right?)

My question... if I use a roller, does the finish come out 'fluffier' than if I used a brush? Less shiny? More textured? I don't know if I am getting across what I mean, but I noticed that finishes tend to be 'softer' than if I used a brush.

I have painted over pieces with success and no sanding. I have used the paint with the primer already in it that Lowes and Home depot carry and it is awesome, although that was over real wood. For someone who asked the question about the color of the primer, gray is actually a better neutral than white primer. I would like to do my dining room table, but I hesitate because I can't put it outside to prime with oil based....

Hi, fantastic help here! I do have a question and I hope you keep up with your old blogs. You mentioned that you use a roller for the primer but what are you using to apply the paint & the floor finish? I'm about to follow this tutorial for a bookshelf and maybe a desk down the road.

Hi .. I wish I would have found this sooner! I just finished painting my fake wood tv stand with BEHR 'stain blocking & primer in one'(on the advice of someone else) but am still concerned with it scratching off. I am going to do what you did and put the varathane on now but wanted to know how you applied it. Brush or roller .. and any other helpful hints while doing it? Thanks!

Do you think that this painting technique would work for fake wood when im turning an entertainment center into a play kitchen for my son? I already bought one but like with yours didnt realize its not ALL wood

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Belk, thank you for your inspiring DIY ideas! You have every right to be so House Proud! I have Pinned a link to your blog on my Pinterest Board, Home Sweet Home, at KayJay61 should you want to review my representation of your design vision.

WOW! The BEST thing you said was that you did not even need to sand it! I have a black and brown laminate computer desk that needs 'cheering' up! I am heading out right now to buy the primer and paint! Thanks! Your pics are amazing! :)

So I really like that you found a technique that turned out not only pretty, but durable. That being said I have this really old bedroom suit furniture that are really great pieces (great condition and have the potential to look modern yet unique) but the problem is, they are that gross particle board stuff (I think?) AND a yucky "light green wood" color..I hope you know what I mean lol very popular in the 70s, the kind where if you chip it off it has that redish brown color underneath and gets splintery? (thankfully it hasn't done this in any spots) but my question I guess is, is this the particle board stuff you're talking about (if you can determine based on my description) and will this technique work on them? I'm scared to "take the plunge" because I read somewhere that certain faux woods like laminate and such can end up warped and absorbing the paint if not done properly..

This is great! Thank you so much! I've been wanting to paint my hideous bedroom furniture, which is made with "the fake stuff" too. Minus the price of the bookcases, what is the total cost of this project (paint and paint supplies)? Also, The primer container says, "primer, sealer, COVER STAIN." Could I replace the step with the floor sealant and seal with the primer on top?

I think painting laminate furniture is not difficult now. For this, you just need right tools and paint along with the space to paint your furniture. Start painting from one corner and let the paint dry compleely once you will done with it.

I followed your tutorial to the T on a particle board/laminate bedroom set. I too thought at first it was hardwood, but only portions of it were - so annoying! Anyway, I bought exactly the same brands of paint as you, but in an off-white that is slightly different. I actually went to Home Depot then had to leave when I realized they were lowes brands. Although I have gotten a few nicks already, I think it seems to have worked fairly well. A few tips you might want to add, that would have saved me a few tips to Lowes. I loved your tutorial because it was so detail oriented for a new painter, like myself.

- You need to also get brushes if you have any sort of detail work. - If you are painting over dark wood, consider doing an extra coat of primer - mine wasn't fully covering and I wish i had done a 3rd. - If you are painting polyurethane over white, be VERY careful not to have drips. This poly turns yellowed if there are drips. Since my furniture was full of crevices it was very hard to stop. - Get a brush made for clear coats because the foam roller causes the polyurethane to bubble. - If painting over dark furniture, be sure to paint just inside the drawers, even if they weren't originally painted as you can see in the cracks.

Just a heads up for anyone who doesn't know - painting supplies are expensive! I also bought more than I think I needed. I got a gallon of primer, a gallon of paint, and a gallon of poly. I only went through 1/3 of a gallon of any. I painted a queen sized bed, a tall and a short dresser, and 2 night stands. I guess plenty left for future projects!! The primer was ~$13, the paint was ~$20 and the floor sealant poly was ~$50. Plus... rollers, trays, and paint brushes for a few people (my helpers).

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Really enjoyed reading this article as furniture is my passion. Great post on refurbing inferior furniture or past its best furniture. You really can't go wrong with hardwood furniture especially solid oak furniture, where every piece has its own unique character. More detail

I am a Kitchen and Bath designer and I have heard the "real wood" argument a million times. It is near impossible to find a solid wood cabinet in the sense that most people think of it. Most people assume solid wood cabinets are made of wood boards (like they are milled off a tree). They are unstable structurally because they tend to warp - not to mention cost prohibitive. Cabinets are made of some solid wood "board" components for faces, doors, drawerheads and details, but the boxes and shelves are almost always exclusively particle board or plywood. Plywood is more stable than particleboard for wet areas. MDF (medium density fiberboard) is very heavy and great for detailed or painted doors. All of these forms of real wood are stronger and less likely to warp than solid wood boards.

Industry people call particleboard, plywood and MDF "real wood" because these items are made from real wood components. They are not saying it is a solid wood board. I know many people won't agree with that. But I do know from experience that solid "board" wood cabinets are structurally unreliable, expensive and hard, hard, hard to find. So, the fact that your bookcases from Broyhill were particle board and solid wood "board" was not a surprise to me. I hope this helps a little for your cabinetry hunting in the future.

I just bought a china hutch and base and the stinking thing has particle board in spots! The problem is, there is some buckling on the "finish" of the particle board on the hutch... Yikes, anything I can do to get rid of that? It's on the sides of the hutch, unfortunately, NOT in an inconspicuous spot at all! Thanks for the tips above, they'll sure come in handy for future projects if the buckling can't be tamed for this one! Heidi Marquisetteheidi@heidimarquisette.com

I am so glad you are still painting furniture the right way! All this rave about chalk paint (co$t/quantity) & after purchasing the product to give it a shot- i find it highly over rated. If one is producing madeover furniture as an income, a very important aspect is that the finished product is durable. Working in residential new & remodel industry for 15 yrs, I have learned a lot about products & appllications. I hsve painted many sets of kitchen cabinets and the first coat always applied is a good quality, hard drying oil based primer.heck, we would even use minwax stain as an antique effect over the 2 coat of paint plus a c oat of poly. Great job. Keep sharing the realistic way to paint furniture!

Your tutorial sounds fairly easy. I am going to try it on a small dresser I just got at a garage sale for $10, so if I mess up, not too much money lost.Also, I noticed that you never answer anyone's questions, why is that? (or at least I didn't see any answers in the above comments)

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HI! the bookshelves look amazing. I do have a question for you. I have a particle board cabinet in my bathroom that i would like to paint white but I need it to withstand the humidity that occurs in the bathroom. would i follow the same steps as you in terms of the floor finish? or would i need some other finish?

SO far, your steps are the simplest, which I am seeking for. Other articles call for applying "de-glossy" medium before the primer. I am not sure why they have to strip if it's not necessary. I am just trying to make sure that you did not use the de-glossy medium on your bookcases and table, right? Thanks

I love this... I recently bought a desk that I was told was solid wood and it's not! So I'm going to try this. Only problem is it has water damage on the top so I'm trying to figure out if I will brave a light sand to fix the inperfections or just cover it with some sort of tile

Love this! I finally found some laminate bookshelves online for a good price to refinish and will be using your process! I am curious if you used the foam roller on all steps (primer, paint, floor finish)... or if it was just the primer? Also, will water based paint adhere to the oil-based primer? I saw others have asked these questions, but I do not see any responses so sorry to ask again.

I didn't think you could paint latex over oil based paint? Is there an exception? Interested in doing this but I know we've made the mistake of painting latex over oil based door and the paint came off in a huge sheet after a few days!

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They look super nice and the table is so pretty.Great job. I am planning to paint my kitchen cabinets white and was looking for instructions when I came across your blog. You said you won't use the products indoors because the kids, there is no kids here but I am in Florida so that means that the AC is 24/7 on. Are the fumes unbearable?

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Yea.............I have been trying to find out how to paint my wardrobe in my bedroom because I hate the color of it...I must give this a try this winter. It will look so much better in black BUT....can you actually paint with a latex paint over an oil based primer??

I have been agonizing over my kitchen cupboards for 15 yrs now. They are a combination of real wood and presswood (sawdust wood), so I've been at a loss as to how to refinish them without ruining them and causing expensive damage. Your article has all the answers to everything I would encounter.....the primer to cover stains, the paint, and the finish coat (especially needed in a kitchen). Thank you so much for this article!! ;)

Hi, Did the fake stuff look like a sticker on particle board or did it look like a really thin layer of wood? I have the stuff that is like a sticker & I was reading that spray paint for plastic outside furniture will work. Thanks

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Thanks dear for sharing the furniture painting idea, here on this blog. But please aware me well; can these idea are applicable to African Ebony wood or not? Actually my wife wants to have only this wooden kind of furniture at home.

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WONDERFUL! many thanks to the particulars. how performed anyone apply your fresh paint along with varathane? performed you make use of the identical memory foam roller or perhaps performed anyone toss this once you utilized this b/c on the oil centered primer? woodworkingbuddy